mellow yellow

So the greatest sporting event of the year, the Tour de France, started on Saturday. I find myself in a very weird place this year as I follow the race. When Lance Armstrong was winning like crazy I was rooting for him big time. I would go out and buy up all magazines with his face on the cover, I read his books cover to cover, I even have a Lance Armstrong training book for cycling. Needless to say, I was drinking the Armstrong kool-aid.
Yet this year I find myself rooting against Lance. I do not support post-retirement comebacks with the exception of Jordan’s first comeback (I mean let’s be honest, he was too young to retire). Post-retirement comebacks inevitably cloud the memory of one’s great athletic achievements (see Jordan’s second comeback). Lance’s comeback just seems like a big ego-trip to me wrapped in the neat packaging of his Livestrong, cancer research fundraising. Now don’t get me wrong I am by no means angry that he is trying to raise money and awareness for cancer research, that is awesome. What I don’t like is his ego in this comeback. Lance always had an ego, it’s what made him an exceptional cyclist but this comeback seems to take it a bit too far.
I also don’t approve of the comeback given that I began rooting for one of Lance’s teammates while Lance was retired. Alberto Contador is the future and the present of cycling. He has already won all three Grand Tours and is barely out of the Young Rider’s classification. The man is a beast. He got shafted from defending his ‘07 Tour title for joining the Astana team which was banned from the ‘08 Tour because of the team’s previous doping history (which was turned around after the ‘07 season). It’s his turn to make a triumphant comeback this year, not Lance’s. Come on Lance you won 7 Tours already, really, do you need to prove anything more? Let the young guys have a chance.
It makes me sad to say it but it’s true, as the Tour progresses I will continue to hope that Contador beats Lance and not just beats Lance, trounces him.